Barbara and I began preparing immediately for our move to China. She packed and got the children settled in various schools while I attended endless briefings at the State Department. We both took Chinese lessons. Finally, on October 17, we left. Even before we reached Chinese soil, I began keeping a diary about the adventure and challenge that awaited us.
This is the beginning of Peking1 Diary. October 21, 1974
. . . My emotions are mixed about this. I read the Japan Times. I begin already to wish I had more details on American politics, the elections. . . .
When we got to Anchorage there was a message for me to call Leon Jaworski.2 . . . They were asking me about a conversation on tape in April, 1973. They had not heard the tape but they saw a transcript. In it Richard Moore apparently told President Nixon that I had been approached by Mardian3 to raise $30,000 for the Watergate defendants and that Moore told the President that I refused to do this and had urged the whole thing to come out. They were asking me my recollection. I told them that I had absolutely no recollection of this, that I was confident I had not talked to Mardian about this, that I hadn’t seen him since I had become National Chairman. Indeed I hadn’t seen him since perhaps a year before that and then only in passing. . . . I told them I would look at my notes and try to recall any conversation. . . .
The incident itself is not important except that here I was leaving the United States, last point of land, and a call out of the ugly past wondering about something having to do with Watergate, cover-up and all those matters that I want to leave behind.
In going to China I am asking myself, “Am I running away from something?”, “Am I leaving—what with inflation, incivility in the press and Watergate and all the ugliness?” Am I taking the easy way out?” The answer I think is “no” because of the intrigue and fascination that is China.
I think it is an important assignment, it is what I want to do, it is what I told the President I want to do, and all in all, in spite of the great warnings of isolation, I think it is right—at least for now.
General Notes—People at the State Department seem scared to death about our China policy. Kissinger keeps the cards so close to his chest that able officers in EA4 seem unwilling to take any kinds of initiative. This troubles me a little bit because I worry that our policy is “plateaued out,” and that if we don’t do something the policy will come under the microscopic scrutiny the CIA has come under, that the Middle East policy has come under. And indeed the American people are going to be looking for forward motion. And it is my hope that I will be able to meet the next generation of China’s leaders—whomever they may prove to be. Yet everyone tells me that that is impossible. I have the feeling that David Bruce5 felt it was best to have a small mission, keep a very low profile, do little reporting and to feel his way along on this new relationship. He was revered, properly so and respected, but my hyper-adrenaline, political instincts tell me that the fun of this job is going to be to try to do more, make more contacts. Although everyone all along the line says that you will be frustrated, won’t be able to make contacts, won’t be able to meet people, they will never come see you, etc. etc. I fear this may be true, but the fun will be trying . . .
October 25, 1974
Strauss6 you old bastard,
You’ll never believe this.
I come to Peking, China to get away from you—I’m doing my thing—out of politics half way around the world . . . trying to bring peace to a troubled world—when I turn on the short wave and ‘midst much whistling and woofing I hear—“Robert Strauss called Pres. Ford’s statement irresponsible.”
. . . How far away do I have to go?
Anyway we’re here—fascinating in so many ways—I miss our jousts and our leisure times of pleasantness, but this is right for us for now. We are happy—
Hang in—pleasantly—
Best to all at DNC but damn it lose!! Bar sends love.
Best
GB
October 25, 1974
. . . We went to bed early. They put a board under my bed, making it properly hard but we were confused. The wind was whistling outside and yet the heat inside was enormous. I went around and turned off all the heaters. Bar got snoring again just like West Texas. I turned on the Sears humidifier and she did OK. She’ll have that place singing in a day or two. It needs pictures, it needs some warmth, it needs some table-top items, but other than that we have inherited a lot in the Bruce style. It’s great. All’s well. End first night. No substance. Lot of new sights and sounds and smells. Don’t drink the water. The soap is good. The eggs are little. Short-wave makes a lot of whistling sounds—sounds just like 30 years ago . . .
October 27, 1974
. . . People stare at you. Gather around the car. Look at you. Once in a while smile. No hostility but tremendous curiosity. Our driver, Mr. Kuo, is amazing. It looks to me like we are going to crash into bicycles, donkey carts, overloaded buses, trailer-type setups, or get lost in a dust storm but sure enough Mr. Kuo manages. Yesterday a bicyclist almost ran in front of us and Mr. Kuo held up his finger and disciplined the young bike rider with a rather serious reprimand. The kid looked somewhat chastened but continued boldly across the great breadth of highway and was soon blended into a jillion other cyclists, a bunch of buses, and a few pulled donkey carts.
October 27, 1974
Dear Kids,
This is the first chance I’ve had to write. Excuse my typing but this is the best way to make it readable. Life here is really different—a world of contrast. The society is closed no dissent, no real freedoms; and yet they’ve made much progress from the bad old days with people dying on the street etc. Our house is nice—plenty of room for all of you. The people helping us (large staff) speak no English at all. We’ve been having our large meal at noon—always new Chinese dishes—they are sensational but the jelly-like spiked sea slugs that looked like those horrible Sculpins in Maine only smaller. The rest of the dishes are really something—I hope I’m not putting on weight.
Some observations: too few contact with the Chinese officials and people—they just don’t want the contacts. Everything gets gray in Peking—it’s like west Texas in a lot of ways—lots of dust in the air at times. Fred7 is gray inspite of two baths. People stare at Fred in amazement—the young are scared of him, the older heads seems to smile at him—but they don’t call him or pat him. We start Chinese lessons next week—We’ve gotten no mail and we miss you all a lot—Today we went to a little Church service in a run-down Bible Institute. 4 Chinese oldsters singing forth in Chinese as we 14 petitioners equally divided between African and European diplomats sang in English. Mum and I were both choked up—here we were worshipping in a land where this kind of worship is all but forbidden. They permit services but in a very limited way. Yesterday we went to Western Hills for a climb. It is very pretty there. In Chinese a big sign said “Don’t pick the red leaves” (bright fall colors) Yep, guessed it—all the kids were walking around with red leaves in their hands. There is no handholding in public—no heing and sheing in sight. Hap and Robin8 would have a rough go here if they were Chinese. The weather, except for the dust, has been beautiful—warmish fall weather. I’ve played tennis once—The Int’l club has a bunch of poorly surfaced courts, tho they are resurfacing the 2 indoor courts with a red concrete which will be pretty nice to have. The Club for diplomats and some Chinese is very spacious, is a few blocks (easy cycle) from our house. It has billiards, [ping] pong, outdoor basketball etc. A haircut costs 30 cents. Some things here are very expensive—some quite cheap/A lot of things that we take for granted at home you just can’t get; but there are no hardships in this direction. I feel cutoff from the day to day news. Our short wave works pretty well so we get a good 7 a.m. news report but it is just the highlights. Very few dogs around here—great bunch of USLO9 staff—A pace in my life less hectic than I have known in many many years, but still plenty to do. I haven’t gotten a phone call in a week—imagine that! I jog every a.m. at 6:30 with Fred—1 mile—I hate it. I also do sit-ups. Everything gets pretty dirty in the house though it is kept up very well. Soon it will get really really cold. I hear there are two really cheap round trip fares out here—Air France and Air (Pakistan) have trips US-Peking for less than $1000. Mum just called wanting me to go to the Friendship store (hooray my first phone call) . . . I have a nice Chrysler car and a good driver Mr. Kuo who speaks no English but is a great driver in horribly difficult circumstances. The difficulty comes from the cyclists. There are few cars around—lots of Army trucks etc. The People Liberation Army [PLA] guard our gate—nice looking young men. Yes Doro they have women in the PLA too but they don’t guard the gate. I have made a lot of calls on other Ambassadors and Chinese officials but the latter calls are formalities pretty much. We are permitted to travel in China and we will do so a lot. The Chinese have been most hospitable in the sense of politeness and trying to provide us with certain courtesies.
. . . Dying to hear how all goes with all of you. I may be homesick for all of you, but really we are very close as I know you know. You will all five enjoy this experience seeing and wondering at different things. The sights to see are fabulous, the dining out a new experience with each place. The difference between our countries immense—and yet a feeling that the people would like to be friends. I just wish we could do more in this regard. I better run now—just wanted you to know that your folks are doing O.K. That we think of you all the time—that we talk about each of you a lot. That we miss you and that we love you very much—our pride in all five of you is even greater here—never thought it would be possible.
Devotedly
Dad
As part of my plan to socialize with the Chinese as much as possible, I decided to reverse my predecessor’s policy of not attending various embassies’ National Day receptions (similar to our Fourth of July celebrations.) I decided I better let Washington know via a State Department telegram, our best way of communicating.
TELEGRAM
SUBJECT: |
NATIONAL DAY RECEPTIONS |
ACTION: |
SECSTATE WASHDC |
October 31, 1974
1. We plan to slide into attendance at National Day Receptions unobtrusively. Holdridge10 and I will attend Algerian affair November 1, which happens to be the first one to which we have been invited. The Soviets on November 6 are next in line.
2. We will not seek press attention, but all at USLO will simply state if queried that Mr. Bush and others at USLO feel this is a way to widen our contacts in Peking. If pressed, we will tell journalists not to read anything into this shift—just something new USLO Chief wanted to do in effort to expand his contacts and contacts of others at USLO.
Bush
November 1, 1974
We went to our first National Day reception. It happened to be the Algerian. The Holdridges and ourselves walked in together and the Algerian ambassador looked like he was going to fall over in a dead faint when he saw us arrive. The affair was very formal. After the guests had come in, the Chinese guests and the Algerian host took overstuffed chairs at one end of the room. The ambassadorial corps kind of formed in the room, milling around eating lavish hors d’oeuvres. At the other end of the room were table after table at which the Chinese guests gathered around and ate and ate and ate. The only people that visit with the Chinese officials are the foreign minister and other Algerians. And this was interrupted only by long interpreted speeches that went on too long and bored the hell out of everybody. There was a great deal of comment by other ambassadors about our being there. I met many ambassadors there including the Soviet, Polish, Rumanian, several Africans. The Europeans all sought me out and told me they thought the change in policy was a very good one.
I then came home, we formed in a big group and about 14 strong from the US Mission went off to one of the guest houses where Chiao Kuan Hua11 gave us a beautiful banquet. We sat in overstuffed chairs in the reception room to start with where we had a chance to discuss some things with substance. He raised the question of oil and we discussed that. He thinks I am a bigger oil expert than I am. We also discussed Kissinger’s trip. . . . The atmospherics were great. He opened his tunic at the end of the meal and leaned back. Instead of giving a standing toast, he made the point of giving a sitting toast and I made the point of trying to leave fairly early to try to keep the atmosphere informal. I had the distinct feeling that Huang Chen12 might have told him about the way we threw the oysters [shells] in the middle of the table in Washington because they had a lovely mixing pot of all kinds of Chinese delicacy and flavors where people get up and hold their meat or fish or chicken in this common kettle of water cooking all the ingredients and turning in the end into a wonderful soup. The dish had a way of relaxing people and getting them together in an informal way. There was plenty of wine, plenty of Mao Tai, and plenty of frank conversation. I made the point for example that we got attacked an awful lot at these international conferences when we really went there to help. I liked the tone of the meeting. Chiao’s wife was charming. She told Bar she had been to the States five times—U.N. She had almost a western style hairdo and was very very pretty. Chiao kidded Bar, telling her not to laugh at me during my Chinese lessons. And once he referred to her as Barbara during his toast. I thanked him as effusively as I could at the end of the meeting and he told me “we would want to have a nice banquet for you anyway, but I wanted to especially repay you for your hospitality to me at your mother’s home,” referring to the time when he and Huang Hua came out to mother’s in Greenwich that informal Sunday.13 It is wonderful how he remembers. The entrance to the guest house when we drove in was a real contrast to some of the rest of Peking. Beautiful, well kept, plenty of greenery. It was apparently the old Austria-Hungary legation where we had the dinner.
The next day Holdridge, Anderson, Brunson and I went to call on Teng Hsiao-Ping.14 He was a very short man. We went to the Great Hall of the People and met in a room where [Premier] Chou En Lai apparently meets a lot of the people. As we walked in we were ushered over in the middle of the room for a picture. Holdridge and I were flanking the very short Teng. We then moved on into the reception room where we had a long good discussion with the Vice Premier. It lasted about an hour and a half. He gave us a lot of interesting agricultural statistics. We talked about world politics and a need for continued relationship. I gave him my thesis that there must be visible manifestations of progress for our China policy so it will avoid some of the hyper-microscopic analyses that we are getting on other policies in the States. He touched briefly on Taiwan . . . Teng seemed very much in control, clicking off minute agricultural population statistics, concerned about India, thought we hadn’t done enough at the time of the India-Pakistan war.15 I was too polite to ask them what they had done. Nancy Tang did the interpreting. Chiao Kuan Hua sitting to the left of Teng and Wang Hai Jung16 down from there. She is a very quiet little girl and it is believed she is put into this high position so she can be around all functions [for] Chairman Mao. She lacks the outgoing appeal of either Nancy Tang or Mrs. Chiao Kuan Hua. As we left, Teng left the door open for future visits though he indicated I would be seeing “others.” . . .
The Honorable William Steiger
House of Representatives
Washington, DC
Dear Bill:
Bar has written Jan all the news and if I started in to give you all my reactions to this fabulous assignment, it would take too much of your time. Suffice it to say the Bushes are alive, well, challenged, interested, excited, and, all in all, finding this land of contrasts a magnificent new experience.
Having said that, I have a favor to ask of you. Would you call a good cross section of our friends in Congress and ask them to put me on the mailing list for their newsletters in Washington. . . . I do find that I am cut off from domestic politics far too much, and though I am an instant diplomat and no longer a consummate politician, I don’t want to be out of touch. . . . Fifteen or so would get the job done. I don’t think there is any problem regarding postage. I’d like a philosophical cross section. . . .
I hope this isn’t an imposition. Suffice it to say, I miss my godson.17 I miss my own sons; I miss my daughter; I miss my godson’s parents.
Hastily, but with warmest regards,
George Bush
November 17, 1974
Dear Bake [James Baker],
We’re here. We have been for almost four fascinating weeks—weeks filled with a variety of emotions. This is a land of contrasts. Great beauty but also a lot of gray dirt and drabness. Clear (almost balmy) skies then fierce penetrating cold, urged on to ferocious heights by a North wind that reminds me of the West Texas winds, carrying a lot of real estate. Enormous beauty of the children with their captivating smiles and robust healthy looks contrasted with a certain dreary sameness as one watches the workers cycling out of Peking to work in the AM and back from work in the PM. It’s great and we are very happy here, though both Bar and I miss family, friends, news, even politics. It is funny how fast we get cut off. . . . We have great communications with DC, but the wireless file (USIS)18 only comes here in part, the papers and mags are real late, and the Hinshua News put out by the New China News Agency is nice to have but concentrates on international events—usually not the ones I want to read about. I have a great short wave given by the office—a very good one, but it gets a lot of whoofing, blowing wheezing like all short waves. Ask me anything about radio Moscow—those weiners come in like gangbusters, but I don’t want to hear all about the “imperialistic USA exploiting the third world”.
The food here is out of this world/ Food is more than a passing meal here—it is an art. In our house we have a good Chinese staff and the cook, a Mr. Sung, is an artist. We have had mainly lunches and the dishes are always new and different. The only thing that was tough to get down was the sea slug—a plateful of gravy covered wiggly purple spiny gelatinous spiked looking things. They say sea slugs are aphrodisiacs so I wolfed one down (N.B.19 if that’s what it takes I’m ready for a celibacy course)—Anyway I am eating too darned much at home and in the fantastic restaurants in Peking. The restaurants aren’t that much to look at inside—all kind of old and run down, but the food is exquisite and fairly reasonable as well.
I have been far busier than I thought I’d be—diplomatic calls, calls on Chinese officials—one trip to Tientsin, 2 hours from Peking.
We are well received here. Kissinger comes in a week or so, and that is great ‘cause it will set the course for the next year or so. . . .
Bar comes home very soon—leaving around Dec. 4—maybe leaving with Kissinger. She likes it here but I am glad she’ll be with the weiners20 for Christmas. She comes back out on the 6th of January. I go to Honolulu for a chief of Mission Conference around Dec. 6th for about 9 days—good duty—then I come back here for Christmas—Mother joining. Let me know if you and Susan ever feel like a trip to Peking. I know we can work it out as far as visas go—just tell em you will stay with us. . . .
Had a haircut, massage—shoulders head, plus shampoo—60 cents US.
The friendship store sells almost everything we need. Bought my whiskey etc. in Hong Kong. Our house [is] plenty roomy—4 bedrooms up, one down, massive downstairs kitchen—small one up for family. Darned nice. Bought a championship pong table—but the Chinese are so good that I just quietly hit in the dining room with limited hot air. . . .
We sure miss the Houstonians. I hope Jeb is getting along O. K. I expect they’ve all written but we haven’t heard from him—oh yes Columba21 wrote us a nice letter. All’s well. Your Pekinese buddy misses you. I’m shipping you a few gallons of sea slugs—do with them what you will.
Happily,
GB
Sunday, November 17
. . . On a beautiful, warm sunny day went to the Great Wall in two trucks. A hazardous ride, unbelievable. Going around blind curves. Honking like mad. Pushing pony carts and various forms of decrepit looking vehicles off to the side. We climbed to the top of the left hand side of the Wall. A real workout, tough on the legs, but exhilarating when one gets through. We had been told that it might be windy and very very viciously cold but it was neither, We must have hit a lucky day. It is hard to describe the spectacle of the Wall. I can just hear a whole bunch of coolies sitting around and the foreman coming in and saying to them, “Men, we got a new project. We are going to build a wall, yep—2,000 miles. OK, let’s hear it for the engineers. Let’s get going on the job.” What a fantastic undertaking. We then drove down and had a picnic near one of the Tombs. All by ourselves in a courtyard. The sun was out. I sat in my shirtsleeves and we ate a delicious picnic. A kind of a sweet and sour fish. Excellent fried chicken. Lots of hard boiled eggs. The inevitable tasty soup. The only thing we forgot was ice so the beer was warm but we had worked hard enough walking up to the top so that we devoured about six bottles of it. It’s a heavy beer and I find it makes me sleepy but it’s awful good. We then went to the Ding Ling tomb and looked around there. Plenty of exercise climbing up and down. When we got home at about 5 o’clock I totally collapsed.
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger arrived for his much awaited visit in late November. I dictated to my diary:
November 26, 1974
I attend, sitting next to the Secretary, meetings in the morning at the Great Hall and in the afternoon at the guest house, meetings with Teng Hsiao Ping. . . . Kissinger is brilliant in these talks. Tremendous sweep of history and a tremendous sweep of the world situation. He is at his best. It is a great contrast to the irritating manner he has of handling people. His staff are scared to death of him. The procession is almost “regal.” People quake, “He’s coming. He’s coming.” And don’t dare tell him when he’s keeping them waiting. In the Wednesday morning meeting, “I want my staff. I want them all in this room. I want them right here now. Where are they?” All kinds of yelling of that nature goes on. I guess it is the way he keeps from getting ulcers at the pace he is working at. I came home and had lunch with Bar . . .
November 28, 1974
Kissinger was anxious to know my plans. He asked how long I planned to stay. This is the second reference he made to it. I had in my mind that he was probing to see what my political plans were. I told him I had no political plans, that I thought the ticket for ’76 was locked in with the appointment of Rockefeller, which I do, and that I had no plans at all. Kissinger made some reference to my running for President in 1980. I told him I couldn’t see that far ahead but I was very much interested in doing a good job here—learning the substance of our foreign policy and getting an overall view of it. He pointed out that this was a good place to do it because of the kinds of reviews the Chinese get from him and also because from time to time there are substantive items here. I made clear to him that I was not expecting high profile, I knew the limitations of this post and that it didn’t bother me. I really think he is still curious as to why I am here, when, as he knows, I could have gone to Paris or London. . . .
December 4, 1974
Enroute Peking to Tokyo
Dear Gerry [Bemiss],
. . . This won’t sound like much, Bemiss, but I wish you could attend the Christian Church service with us (you will I hope). It is in downtown Peking in the old Bible Society Building. There are 5 Chinese who attend. They alternate preaching. The service is in Chinese totally, no sermon, lots of hymns, communion every Sunday.
It is strange and yet very moving. Here we are in a totally controlled atheistic tough society. They permit tokenism. It means a lot of hymns, all the beautiful well known ones, boom out with the strong handful of Chinese voices—it’s almost too much. It makes me count my many blessings right there.
Not the least of which is the feeling of love and affection we, Bar & me, have for you two.
I have time to think over here—even read (I know you don’t believe it); But here one sorts out his values—freedoms we take for granted come to the fore here as treasures but for us it’s family and close friends—ever thus in our lives, but here it’s vivid and in perspective.
Come see us—when you are ready—tell me. We can get the visas.
Love to Margaret to the kids.
Just know that your friend in Peking is doing O. K.
Best
GB
December 4, 1974
. . . Great talks with Bar on the phone. The kids all doing fine. It is as if each one of these five kids, recognizing that the family was undergoing a different experience, are pulling together much more. There are no longer those juvenile battles and each one comes through strong, vibrant, full of humor and different, full of life and we are awfully lucky. It is right that Bar be there but boy do I miss her. . . .
December 17, 1974
His Excellency Chiao Kuan Hua
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Peoples Republic of China
Dear Mr. Minister:
My mother and an aunt will be here for a couple of weeks. Even though Barbara is with our children in the United States and thus won’t be here to greet you, I would love to have you come for a very small, very informal supper next week.
Could you and your wife join us on Thursday, December 26th at 7:00 p.m.? If that day is impossible the 27th would be fine too.
I know how busy you are, so if dinner doesn’t seem possible perhaps we could call on you some day during the next couple of weeks. My mother would enjoy seeing you again.
Maybe you would like to bring some others with you. If you want to do that I will invite an equal number from the USLO—otherwise there will be just us.
Respectfully yours,
George Bush
December 17, 1974
. . . A lot of our mail is opened when it goes international. Indeed it has been checked through some very sophisticated methods that international mail is read rather regularly. . . . In checking around I find this is not unusual. I write the mail that I send international knowing that it will be checked.
Mother arrives tomorrow. I have that kind of high school excitement—first vacation feeling. Weather still cold, but very clear. Great for bicycling. I hope it holds out for her. Mr. Wong hustling around the house. Three guest bedrooms have been painted and they are pale yellow. Much different and better than the flat water paint. Apparently they started using some kind of a plastic paint.
December 18, 1974
Mother arrived on a beautiful day. Gave her a nice 20 minutes or so to shape up and then we took a long bicycle ride down past the Great Hall of the People. You should have seen the people stare at old momma on the bicycle. They would stand by and watch her. It reminded me of the old joke—about the railroad train crossing at the time zone—it left at five minutes of and arrived 100 miles later at 3 minutes of. The crowd stood around to watch that mother take off. At each traffic light a little group would stand around, nudge each other, look at each other, the kids were openly incredulous, but she cycled majestically off at each stop, doing beautifully in her PLA hat, teenage looking ski outfit and did just great. . . .
December 19, 1974
The big game is trying to figure out whether what they say in public is what they mean or not. Example. Mobutu22 is here. He is praised—the toasts of the dinners hit the super powers. Mobutu enters in by saying “For Africa the peril is white rather than yellow.” Mobutu I am sure will have a different view when he talks to the United States. But I am increasingly upset at the public blasts at the United States. . . . I am absolutely convinced that American public opinion will turn against this at some point and a relationship which is very important to China will be damaged. Maybe China’s rhetoric is more important to them than the relationship, but I don’t really think so. . . . Most people in this town feel that this relationship is the most important one they have got. But they have a funny way of showing it. . . .23
. . . We had our first Western meal at the house. Turkey, cranberry sauce, tons of vegetables. Mr. Sun doing a first-class job, Peking dust for dessert.
. . . Called home. Couldn’t hear the kids except to get the feeling that they had been broken out of the sack at 7:45 a.m. their time. All was well at home. Neil having racked up good marks. Jeb made Phi Beta Kappa officially. Marvin’s starring in basketball. All these little mundane things are of tremendous importance here in China. It was funny to see Peking bustling here on Christmas Day. Worlds apart in some ways and yet most of them wished us a happy holiday etc.
. . . Our USLO kids played hockey down at the Russian embassy, being whipped by the Russian kids. There are hockey games every Sunday for the Russian kids versus an international team. Sports really are marvelous for getting across political lines. It is hard to equate the decency, kindness, humor, gentility of the people of China with some of the rhetoric aimed against the United States. I think back to our own recent experience in World War II. We sought no territory. We were trying to defeat a common enemy. We came to help and yet we are bitterly attacked and lumped in with those who tried to colonialize and pillage. We are the imperialists.
December 27, 1974
In bed, fever about 100.5. Tons of great fresh orange juice. Decision having to be made as to whether to cancel the dinner for Chiao Kuan Hua. I decided to go ahead with it in spite of feeling rotten. Six Chinese, three Bushes counting Aunt Marge, and the Holdridges will be there. Mr. Sun has gone through the darnest orgy of preparations you have ever seen. The menu is something to behold. And the concern has got to be unsurpassed. I did a little reading but most of the time I just slept—tired and aching.
Out of the sack. Fever dropped at four thirty miraculously. Then fantastic dinner prepared by Mr. Sun. Pigeon eggs, swallow nest soup, crisp duck, shark fins, stuffed mushrooms, grilled chicken, mushroom and fresh bamboo shoots, steamed pancakes, rice, sugar and white fungus and a lot of mao tai. It was a great evening. Chiao Kuan Hua was in good form—relaxed. We had a lot of good warm discussion with Chiao Kuan Hua. Chiao tells me at the end that Rumsfeld24 had told him we ought to stay in very close contact. I told him I would like to do more of that and all he had to do was say when. I didn’t want to impose on him but I was available. . . .
In January I was called back to the States for consultation. I stopped in Pakistan en route and contracted some terrible bug while there, resulting in a severe intestinal disorder. I was hospitalized several days in Washington and suffered recurrences for months. On the way back to Peking, I wrote our friends Flo and Holt Atherton (Flo was formerly Flo Kampmann):
Dear Flo & Holt,
. . . This bug has had me really weak, but as each day goes by I get stronger. Bar is lonely and I can’t wait to get back to our home half way around the world.
Washington depressed me—the mood ’mongst my hill colleagues and at State was one of down, down, down.
I hate to see that for our country’s sakes.
I worry lest our friends-foes around the world really begin to wonder if we can keep a commitment in foreign policy.
All you have to do to have real renewed respect for the U.S. is to live in a country where our taken-for-granted freedoms are non-existent. Yet sometimes our press or some of our people want to alter all institutions and tear us down. . . .
Love—
George
February 15, 1975
People universally stare of course everywhere one goes. I am wearing my PLA army hat, my Marlborough country wool jacket, sometimes my Chinese overcoat. The diplomats look askance at this informality or at least some do. But on the other hand I get the feeling that the Chinese like the feeling that the U.S. ambassador is not some stuffy guy above everyone else. In fact I am quite confident of this though not absolutely positive. We prefer not to use our car when we go to the International Club 3 blocks away but I notice our African neighbors all driving up in Mercedes with the flags flying. I like to see the American flag flying here in China both on the flag pole and on the car going around town. But I think it is a little inconsiderate to the driver to have him come all the way in, wait three hours to take us home three blocks.
The staff is doing very well. Mr. Wong25 continuing to be the supervisor, a marvelous fellow. I showed him the moon landing, he and Sun and Chen the other day on the VTR.26 They were absolutely amazed. They stayed glued to their chairs throughout the whole performance. I asked Mr. Wong if the staff would all like to bring their children to watch cartoons if we ever got them and they said they certainly would like to do that. He is the politest guy and the best fellow . . .
I am amazed when I went back to the States at the malaise, the tearing down of institutions, the broadcasts this far away. I have more confidence in our country than the mood that was prevailing back home would have one believe one should have. . . .
It is a tough situation we are in but I am confident that this country can and will prevail. We just must not lose sight of our own perspective and of our own raison d’etre as a nation. So much of the world depends on the United States, so much depends on our own self-confidence in our own ability to cope. If we project this confusion and failure and discouragement it will show up all around the world. People wonder anyway when they see commitments unkept. I think of Cambodia and I think of Vietnam and I think of what that means to the Chinese government and others as they see us unable to fulfill commitments made. I happen to be concerned about Cambodia and Vietnam and think the American people don’t care about them anymore. But that isn’t the point. The point is that if we make a commitment we ought to keep it. We must deal straight forward so we can have trust. I hope that the Chinese continue to trust the United States. It is important to our relationship that they believe what we say and that we deal truthfully and openly and honestly with them. In spite of the fact that they in history did not always deal direct, much of their dealings have traditionally been through nuances and in great subtleties. I don’t think we must adopt the same method in dealing with them. We must be Americans. We must be what we are. We must be sure they understand what we are. And that we not be devious or be indirect in dealing with them. I think they would appreciate it if we are more frank. End of George Washington’s Birthday, Monday, February 17, 1975.
Driving along the street it is so interesting here. One gets the feeling among other things of strong family ties. One of the misconceptions I had before coming here was that family was no longer important. Yet on the holidays and on any day one gets the strong feeling of family. Grown girls looking after their grandparents. Grown parents looking after their mothers. Children together with parents. . . . Respect for family. Talking about family. Talking about visiting family. All very important. . . . There is this feeling that we are close to the forest but somehow are not seeing the trees. And yet the other side of it is that you do get much more flavor for China by being here. You don’t know exactly what’s going on in the government. They are secretive. The preparations for the National Peoples Congress were done in total secrecy. They are not outgoing. You can’t go into their homes and yet you get a general impression of China that you can’t get from outside. You see kids slugging it out on the streets, playing, fighting, just as you do in the States. You see little girls doing that funny jump rope game with kind of elastic looking jump-ropes in parallel, low to the ground where their feet weave almost like weaving on a loom. You see young teenagers kind of hanging in together smoking. Men smoke a lot. You get used to people spitting on the street although I am told that they are working against this.
The grayness is beginning to give way a little bit as warm weather approaches. The padding doesn’t look quite as great on the clothes, both women’s and men’s. I am anxious to see summer and spring here. Interesting lunch today. Chicken, a great soup and one of the ingredients was chicken blood. Fresh blood of chicken made into a jelly, almost like a bean curd which was then cut into squares and served. Barbara told me what it was after we finished. I must say it tasted delicious, but I am glad she didn’t let me know ahead of time what I was eating.
New discovery to go with the orange juice (not fresh) that is served absolutely everywhere in China. A lemon juice. I have got to find out where we get it. Pretty good. Marvelous letter from Marvin, saying things are great. Bar sat and cried as she read it. The kid has had a tough go until the last couple of years when he has really done a first-rate job. He was admitted to the University of Texas, still waiting to hear from North Carolina and Colorado.27 Basketball going great. His great sentence was, “Johnny Bush is coming down to see a basketball game. You can’t help but love a guy that would do a thing like that.” I miss the children a lot every day and yet they seem to be holding together. They seem to be getting strength from each other. They spell out their love for their parents. We are very lucky.
I am finding a little more time to study China’s history, read about Chairman Mao. There are great inconsistencies in Mao, what he says now and what he used to believe. Nothing too fundamental but time and again one can find them. But come to think of it who shouldn’t “change his mind.”
March 2, 1975
. . . Marvin, Neil, George will have a great time hitting with the Chinese in both ping pong and tennis. The philosophy of the Chinese government is not competition itself, the friendship developed from those sports is what counts, not the victory.28 I believe this somewhat though I am a little bit more like Bear Bryant29—frankly the Chinese guys I am playing tennis with are a lot like Bear Bryant. They are stoic in that they don’t show their emotion and they don’t get mad. They don’t get sore when they lose but I am absolutely convinced from playing that they like to win. . . . Beginning to feel that the informal style, riding on the bike, the informal dress, the openness with the diplomats and the Chinese may pay off. At first I wondered but Mr. Lo at the store said, “You are getting to be a legend in your dress.” He wasn’t ridiculing me I don’t think. In fact I am sure he was not. And they all talk about our riding our bikes, Barbara and me. One mission man from Italy told me, “I can’t imagine my ambassador riding a bike.”30 And I am convinced the Chinese like it. They are not themselves as open and outgoing but they are warm and friendly, and I remain convinced that we should convince them, even through the limited contacts we have, that Americans are not stuffy, rich and formal.
Mr. Jerry Weintraub31
Management Three, Ltd.
New York, New York
Dear Jerry:
I have a long shot thought. Think about it and tell me if it would have any appeal at all.
This 4th of July here in Peking we are going to have the first 4th of July National Day reception held by the U.S. in Mainland China in a long, long time.
We will invite Chinese friends and we will invite the Diplomatic Corps. Last year the U.S. did not attend diplomatic receptions but we have changed that now, and it is appreciated. Typically we have no budget, but Bar and I are prepared to spend enough personal money to make it a fun event.
We want it to be informal—it will be hot in Peking then. We want it to be typically American—maybe a bring the kids kind of outdoor thing—with beer and hamburgers and hot dogs. And we want it to be patriotic.
Now for my long shot idea. Is there any chance that John Denver will be traveling in this part of the world around that time. He would be the ideal guy to put on a short show of his great American ballads. . . .
. . . I don’t believe that at this juncture he would be permitted to sing before any Chinese audiences in a public place in Peking. I can’t even offer him plane fare unless we could get the USIS to spring for that.
We can only offer him a week in our home with tender loving care, a chance to see Peking, and one hell of a lot of gratitude for coming to this isolated post to help us celebrate a very special day. His wife, who we met at your house, would be most welcome of course. We couldn’t get permission for technical people, lights, cameras, etc. It would be a one man, informal kind of thing.
Does it make any sense at all?
If it has no appeal to John is there anyone that you know of who will be out in this part of the world who might conceivably like to do what I am suggesting. It’s a long shot but I am determined to try to do something different—something that will bring a touch of American talent to this land—even in this very confined way.
Bar and I thought of John Denver because we will never forget that night at Carnegie Hall when I was at the U.N. You invited us to hear him sing, and his rendition of “America the Beautiful” and other songs as well made a lasting impression on our hearts. The impact of this sincerity and love of country in Peking would be fantastic. . . .
Warm regards.
Yours very truly,
George Bush
[Although he was interested, it did not work out for Denver to come.]
March 8, 1975
. . . I have been reading a fair amount of books: Centennial, Dogs of War, a mystery story, and now Before the Fall32 by Safire. On the Chinese side I have read Pearl Buck’s Good Earth, I read the story of Empress Tz’u Hsi, The Dowager Empress, Barnett’s book After Mao, Teddy White’s book Thunder Out of China. I am reading a book by Han Suyin.
March 12, 1975
. . . In Chinese I still feel a certain frustration. When I just sit and chat with Mrs. Tang33 I lose my embarrassment factor and I can do it, but my problem is practice, practice, practice. But I love the Chinese lessons and I hate it when I have to miss them. Mrs. Tang has enormous dignity and a kind of serenity and I wish I could find out what is really in her heart. . . .
March 13, 1975
Mr. Jack Valenti
Motion Picture Association
Washington, DC
Dear Jack:
It was good seeing you all too briefly when I was home for the Alfalfa dinner and consultations. . . .
This year we at USLO have started going to the National Days of various countries who have embassies here in Peking. This 4th of July will be the first National Day to which USLO has invited foreign diplomats. Most of the diplomatic corps will be invited and so will many of our Chinese friends.
I want to do something American, something fun, something informal. Nothing is final but I am beginning to plan a typical American 4th of July picnic to celebrate our 199th year.
If the logistics all work out we will have red, white and blue bunting; we will have beer, coke, burgers and dogs. (In fact if we can get the crowd quiet I might even give a 45 minute campaign speech.)
But I want to top off this 1 1/2 hour picnic with a first-class U.S. film at the International Club theater just 3 blocks from here.
Can you recommend (not furnish, honest) any great American films depicting either the revolution itself or something unmistakably American. The film should be good entertainment. It needn’t be new. It should show our country in its true light—favorable.
It occurred to me that with the 200th year coming up some good films must have already been produced that would serve our purpose.
If there is no film depicting the revolution what might you recommend that would fill the bill? Oklahoma, Carousel, That’s Entertainment come to mind; but I’m sure I’m missing something great.
I hate to impose but I’d really like to have your ideas on this.
National Day receptions here are deadly. There are a lot of reasons why I think this year is a good one for us to do something different than the dreary standing-whiskey at the Peking Hotel.
Love to Mary Margaret. . . .
Yours very truly,
George Bush
We had many visitors while we lived in China because we wanted to share our wonderful experience with our friends. Among them were Dillon Ripley, head of the Smithsonian Institution, and Paul Austin, CEO of Coca-Cola.
March 15, 1975
I had to work. Bar went off sightseeing with the guests. Paul Austin and I took a walk to the Friendship Store, Austin not having heard from the three Chinese we requested he see on business. But Friday the 14th we went to the zoo. Dillon Ripley was disappointed in the zoo and he also thought the zoo was well below standards of any other international zoo. He asked about the musk ox.34 There were supposed to be two of them and there was only one there. We had requested to see three zoo people. None were available. I mentioned to Mr. Liu I thought it was a little unusual because when the Chinese zoo people had come they had been given the run of Washington, and I thought it was a little peculiar that we had never heard from them. Saturday noon I get a note from Mr. Liu saying that all three zoo people were out of Peking. We are speculating that the main reason for the failure to go to the zoo was either the condition of the zoo or possibly the dead musk ox. Probably the latter . . .
Pouch—we are missing mail all the time, and it is hard to explain to people in the States what this means. I remember in the Navy wondering where is our mail, where is our mail, but it is the same kind of feeling. But here we are thirty years later. You think it could be done better. But it simply reminds me of our isolation here. . . .
Saw the Ripleys and the Austins off at the airport at noon. . . . I believe they had a good time. We discovered the following day that the musk ox, Milton, had died. We were officially notified by the Chinese. The mystery is solved.
Three pouches came in on March 17. We have had hell with these pouches. Some mail was dated February 5, some as late as March 5. We have a small post and a tough area and yet we seem to be on the tail end of things. We get the worn out films, it is hard to keep maintenance on old stuff around here and I get the feeling that because it is a small outfit, this wheel seems to get less grease. . . .
Today in front of USLO on March 18 the whole school down the street was out for drilling—marching to command etc., getting ready, I guess, for the May 1 big day. We keep getting various reports of struggles in provinces around China. There are fewer here apparently. When people are caught, they are publicly humiliated etc., led around with signs around their necks. I have still seen no crime first-hand. I did see a couple of Chinese who looked like they were getting pretty crocked at a reception but good god that can happen any place.
Spent the afternoon getting caught up—digesting the mail from the three pouches. Our children are doing great. The letters from all of them are mature, sensitive—they are doing well in their work, no drugs, no dope, no crime, no troubles. We should knock on wood. I think it would be awful to be way over here and have family problems where you’d want to be home helping out. . . .
Word travels in this city. Nancy Tang mentioned, “You’re having many guests.” Why would she, a rather high official, know this. Chiao Kuan Hua, the Foreign Minister, mentions, “I hear you won a prize in tennis.” Hsu Huang, head of the DSB,35 mentioned, “I understand you gave some books to our people on tennis.” The zoo logs us in. Barbara spots the same guy watching twice when she’s at the Ming Tombs. In a way it is comforting. In a way it is rather eerie.
March 18th
Dear Pete [Roussel],36
John Burns a great guy who writes for the Globe and Mail (and will be leaving soon to work for the Times in NY) is doing a ‘Cover’ story for People Magazine. He has been running around taking pictures, jumping out from behind trees to shoot us on our bikes, going to the zoo, then he will pose us at the Forbidden City for what he says they want as a cover shot. It is ‘lifestyle’ in Peking kind of thing . . .
For your info only. If the Texas Gov thing in ’78 made any sense at all I’d maybe take a look at it hard—Go back to Houston after the ’76 elections, win or lose for Republicans, involve myself in academia and business, move around the state plenty and try one last gasp for ’78 keeping in mind that I wouldn’t do it unless there was a possibility of taking a shot at something bigger in ’80—not necessarily on the latter, but having it way off dimly in the future. Just a reminiscence—not a hard thought, certainly not a plan at this point. As you know well a GOP Gov in our State is tough.
. . . Maine—maybe maybe maybe. Bar, I will insist, goes there for August. She’s got to hold this gang of ours together. They are all doing good but Maine for us is like a magnet—we are drawn to it, and I want it to be that way for all our kids, forever. If she goes for August I may try to get up there for two weeks end of August. . . .
Best,
GB
The State Department “slapped my hands” for inviting too many members of Congress to visit us in China, and a few months later, they would do the same when I invited my fellow East Asian ambassadors to visit me in Peking. Everyone wanted to come, but without an invitation to come as our personal guests, it was next to impossible to get a visa. I think the State Department wanted more say on who got invited. My response:
Honorable William H. Gleysteen, Jr.37
Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Bill:
I appreciate very much the spirit of your letter of March 12th.
I served in the Congress for four years and served as Chairman of our Party for two years. Thus many of my closest personal friends happen to be members of the House and Senate—not professional friends, close personal friends. When I left Washington at one of several going away parties I naturally said to these people “come see us” and I meant it. Frankly, I think it would be very useful to have them do just that. I cannot conceive of any member of Congress that I invited doing anything that would embarrass our policy but I can see how some might understand it a little better.
The Roth38 visit will be pure sightseeing. He and Jane, his wife, are attending a Tokyo Conference and he asked if he might come to Peking for two or three days to look around. I will try not to set up any appointments with Chinese officials for him. Indeed I don’t know at this writing whether they will even give him a visa.
In the future, I will simply advise members of the House and Senate that I am not free to invite them without their first getting approval of the Secretary of State. However, I would strongly urge that this be carefully thought out back there. I do understand congress pretty well, and I do not believe this would be understood very well on the Hill.
Perhaps I am overreacting to the Secretary’s expression of “concern”. In short if it is a firm decision I will abide by it, but I want to be clearly on record as disagreeing with it. I will do my best to see that it causes no problems but if pressed I will simply tell the truth and say that I am not free to invite members of Congress without prior State Department approval.
Yours very truly,
George Bush
March 25, 1975
Mr. John A. Schneider,
President of CBS Broadcast Group,
New York, N. Y. 10019
Dear Mr. Schneider:
. . . Peking is “entertainment starved”. There is no way to overstate this. Visitors who come here for brief visits have so much to see and absorb, so many fascinating banquets to attend, so much jet lag to overcome that they do not focus on the totality of our isolation from what we Americans consider entertainment.
I am convinced that if we get some up-to-date entertainment that can be shown on our VTR TV set it will serve three main purposes:
It will help morale in our rather isolated post.
It will maximize the effectiveness of our representation with other diplomats.
It will help us find a way to possibly increase our contacts with the Chinese.
The kinds of tapes we would like to have might include:
Sporting events—for example, a bowl game, tennis matches, a basketball classic
Movies—I think particularly of something like Brian’s Song.
I mention this one because if we had five or six couples
watching in the relative closeness of TV it would create
an atmosphere of intimacy that would help particularly
in our diplomatic contacts.
Specials—those superbly done CBS specials would be just great
Miscellaneous—just pure serial type entertainment shows from time to time would be most welcome
. . . I realize that what I have requested is most unusual, and I do not want to abuse my friendship with Mr. Paley39 in any way. However, I am convinced some special access to these cassettes will be especially productive given this very different environment. . . .
Very truly yours,
George Bush
Chief, US Liaison Office
TELEGRAM
FOR: OSCAR ARMSTRONG40
SUBJ: GIFT OF MUSK OX TO CHINESE
The more I think on it the more I like the idea of having the Chinese receive another ox from the US. Milty is dead but a young and virile Bullwinkle could do a lot of good for relations (diplomatic relations, that is).
Bush
For the United States, the Vietnam War had ended in 1973, but the war between North and South Vietnam had continued. The fighting came to a disastrous conclusion in April of 1975. As the North Vietnamese forces closed in on Saigon, we evacuated our embassy on April 29; South Vietnam officially surrendered on April 30.
April 29, 1975
Went to the National Day Reception for the Netherlands and there I heard, not through the State Department telegrams but through gossip at a reception, that the big, big men in Vietnam had surrendered. . . . The Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese embassies are bedecked in flags and having understandable celebrations. Firecrackers are heard. It is a rather sad thing and you can sense the hostility and certainly the tension when I walk by certain groups at these receptions. John Small of Canada made an interesting comment. It is important that the U.S. stand firm in Korea, and it is important that this slide and decline be halted. It is important that these people stand for something. Where is our ideology? Where is our principle? What indeed do we stand for? These things must be made clear, and the American people must understand that, as soon as America doesn’t stand for something in the world, there is going to be a tremendous erosion of freedom. It is true. It is very true. And yet it is awful hard to convince people of it at home, I am sure. I am a little annoyed about getting nothing from the State Department, hearing about the surrender . . . from a drinking party. . . .
May First today, but April 30 I guess ends up as a gloomy day. A lot of dust in the air. And all in all not a happy time, but we are big enough and strong enough so we can regroup, redefine and move forward. A lot of human tragedy there. A lot of loss of life. . . .
June 4, 1975
. . . There is no credit in this work, but I think it is an accumulative thing and you’ve got to keep digging. I’ve tried to give the right impression of America here—not too formal. We have a good organized staff, tried to move around in the diplomatic community, tried to increase our contacts with the Chinese, tried to have interesting people from the States here, and tried to learn and make suggestions to Washington. Beyond this though, it is hard to “do” anything. And yet I wouldn’t trade it for England, Paris or any of the other posts. The others get more notoriety, and Elliot’s [Richardson] publicity is good I think out of England, but I think this is more substantive in one sense and certainly more interesting. A beautiful letter from Jeb about the problems of Columba adjusting, how much he loves her, how marvelous she is, and what she needs is self-confidence. It was a thoughtful, sensitive piece—an attractive kid who has got it all. I just hope he is fully happy because, knowing him and his sensitivity, he would be deeply hurt if she was ever hurt.
Hurray, George arrives tomorrow . . .
FOR THE PRESIDENT FROM GEORGE BUSH
THRU: GENERAL SCOWCROFT41 ONLY
Brent, please pass the following to the President. I hope it will be shared only with SecState and not be passed to NSC staff or Department. It is pure politics, but I feel strongly about it.
Dear Mr. President:
. . . The Taiwan issue is on the back burner right now as it relates to domestic politics. I am very concerned that as your trip to China approaches this will change dramatically. Your own personal interests dictate that serious thought be given to what is possible from a purely political standpoint.
Answers to the Taiwan question that may have been possible before the collapse in Cambodia and Viet Nam may no longer be any answers at all. I would strongly suggest the following:
(a) An in-depth poll be taken to measure public opinion on various solutions to the Taiwan question (the last poll, I believe, was by Gallup late last year). The poll should probe into opinion of conservatives and liberals and should sound out attitudes towards various solutions. Obviously this polling should be done in great confidence and commissioned by outside sources.
(b) An in-depth research job be done on what the conservatives in the US have said and are likely to say on this issue. A similar study should be undertaken on what the leading Democrats have been saying. N.B.: It seems to me that your political problems arising from this issue are quite different pre-GOP convention compared to post-GOP convention.
(c) Thought be given as to how to keep this issue from building into a major weapon for your opponents be they Republican or Democrat. Some will try to paint a China visit without a final solution to Taiwan as a diplomatic failure, an inability to solve the tough problems. Others, particularly the right wing, will soon start criticizing the visit itself and will be on guard to immediately criticize any concessions as a sellout of Taiwan.
In this communication I am not attempting to go into the foreign policy merits of China options. I firmly believe, however, that your coming to Peking this year, whatever the concrete results, is the right thing to do. What is done at this stage to assess the politics of the visit should be separate from the foreign policy machinery and not in any way inhibit the thinking and planning which undoubtedly is going forward at the State Department and NSC. I am suggesting that a trusted confidant who would not be involved with this planning be encouraged to think out the domestic political implications of your China visit.
I have already discussed with the State Department my concern that work need be done fairly soon to minimize expectations. Many journalists are saying, “The President can’t possibly go to China without solving the Taiwan problem.” It is to your advantage to have this talk dampened, so that expectations be realistic not euphoric and that a visit that does not solve the big Taiwan problem will not, post facto, be considered a diplomatic failure.
Pardon my intrusion on your busy schedule, but, based on my own political past, I worry that this issue can build into a political nightmare unless a lot of pure political thought gets into it soon.
Barbara and I are happy out here. We feel we are most fortunate to be in this fascinating job in this fascinating land.
Warmest regards to Betty.
Sincerely,
George
[Twenty-four years later, the Taiwan “problem” is still not solved. I felt back then as I feel now—that this issue will be resolved, but by the Chinese on both sides of the straits—not by outsiders.]
June 12, 1975
Doro, Marvin and Neil arrived along with a small industry delegation. They looked great, giggling, bubbling over with enthusiasm—having enjoyed Honolulu, tired, not seen anything of Tokyo, only one night there and into Peking. They were great. They rushed down and played basketball, rode down to the Great Square. Marvin played tennis with Te and then off we went to the Soup Restaurant where we had eel and they all loved that. Neil Mallon42 bought the dinner and it was all pretty good.
June 24, 1975
Oscar Armstrong, Esq.,
Department of State,
Washington, D. C. 20520
Dear Oscar:
I am sending you excerpts from a June 10 letter to me from Dillon Ripley of the Smithsonian Institute on the question of finding a replacement Musk Ox for the deceased Milton. I find his arguments against providing a replacement persuasive. As you know, I originally favored a replacement Ox, but now I am not in favor. I frankly don’t know where this question stands back there and whether or not people are clamoring to send a replacement Ox. It would not be appropriate for President Ford to bring an Ox with him, and probably not an appropriate gift for the Chinese at all.
. . . If the subject has died down in the U.S., I am perfectly willing to let the subject drop from this end. Why should we flog a dead Musk Ox?
Sincerely,
George Bush
Chief, US Liaison Office
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
TELEGRAM
THE GREAT HOTDOG ROLL CRISIS
June 27, 1975
1. There is not a hotdog roll to be found in China. Is there any way you could ship us 700 hotdog rolls for guaranteed delivery prior to July 4?
2. We also need 100 large bags of potato chips in same shipment.
3. Please advise soonest.
Bush
June 15, 1975
. . . Church, visit to the tailors to get the kids suited up—about $70. . . . Tennis was indoors this afternoon because the weather was bad. Marvin threw his racquet which really burned me up with the Chinese all watching. Sportsmanship and that kind of thing mean so much more here. We joke about “friendship first” here a little bit, but carefully. But it is an important concept and I ate him out for that display, much like what I might have done when I was his age—but he should be getting over that. Actually he is doing darn well—in his work and from reports from the Congress job he had—the reports were fantastic.
June 29, 1975
. . . Dorothy was baptized at our little Chinese Church.43 The ministers were extremely happy and smiling—pleasant, wonderful. It was very special. There were six guardian group people taping and flashing pictures of the ceremony, not knowing what was going on really. But we were very happy that the Chinese agreed, after they consulted in a meeting, to baptize Doro. They wondered why we were doing it. Bar explained that we wanted the family together and hadn’t been able to do it. A very special day. . . .
July 4, 1975
. . . It was a tremendous success. We all got out and worked on the roof, on hanging up plastic banners, weighing them down with welding rods, setting tables, cooking hot dogs on charcoal. It is hard to light. But it all fell in place with the rain drizzling a little during the day, but clearing miraculously in time for a well attended, perhaps 500 people, reception. Dogs,44 Miller beer, American cigarettes, a raffle, coca cola, lots of loud music—John Denver style—and it was great. The Americans wore red, white and blue. We had American flags around and I am confident it conveyed the right kind of impression about our country. . . .
July 6, 1975
The family left yesterday for Shanghai and now I am a bachelor. I am reading Grey’s Hostage in Peking which, along with Ricketts’ book about their imprisonment back in the early fifties, is interesting reading. The Ricketts come out as great admirers of the system of rehabilitation and are kind of ashamed that they were spies. Hostage in Peking is very different. It shows the horrible and ugly side of the Cultural Revolution . . . stoning embassies, stripping embassy people as they were thrown out of China, spitting on them, plastering posters, vilification, and ugliness that one doesn’t see now. And frankly it is kind of hard to imagine. But it is a good lesson to keep in mind.
. . . Today is George’s twenty-ninth birthday. He is off to Midland, starting a little later in life than I did, but nevertheless starting out on what I hope will be a challenging new life for him. He is able. If he gets his teeth into something semi-permanent or permanent,45 he will do just fine. . . .
July 8, 1975
Long walk with Fred where he spotted the Polish cat again. Practically pulled my arm out of my socket . . . and I tore down the road, past the PLA guards . . . Fred made a dive at the iron gate, sticking his neck all the way through it in quest of the elusive cat. We then had to sniff around the tall grass for five minutes till Fred satisfied himself the cat was gone. What a horrible international incident if he ever caught the cat. Lots of couples out on the hot summer night. People jump away when they see Fred. They shy back. They show their kids Fred—kids in their arms, but then they sidle off as we get near with Fred on his rope.
. . . I wish I could tell what China’s real intent is. After reading Hostage in Peking and reliving some of the horrors of the Cultural Revolution I can’t be sure. Should Soviet Union and China get together, it would be, in my opinion, a whole new ballgame. And yet there is a latent interest in and respect for the United States. China keeps wanting us to be strong, wanting us to defend Europe, wanting us to increase our defense budget, etc. And yet their rhetoric and propaganda against the imperialist aggressive U.S. is so blatant that it makes me furious. But the question is what is their real heartbeat? What is their real intent? I don’t think the United States has anything to fear from China. The talk about how we lost China infuriates the Chinese and now it infuriates me. I can see where it is very clearly wrong. China was not ours to lose and that has been part of the problem. . . .
Following are diary notes kept while on a tour of some other cities in China. I was particularly interested in seeing an oil field near Harbin.
July 20, 1975
The man in charge of the Revolutionary Committee who greeted us, named Min, young looking guy, maybe 33 or so, looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I asked him how they protected the derrick men in the winter, and he said that they didn’t put ‘em inside, they didn’t enclose his platform up there, but the spirit of the work kept him going and also that they protected him with excellent clothing, work tools, etc. Great pride, obviously, in this oil field. Too early to get a feel for it, but it made me a little homesick for Midland and made me think how lucky George is to be going back to the oil business.
July 22, 1975
There seemed to be still the same amount of spitting and coughing and belching as in other parts of China. In reading Barbara Tuchman’s book, Chiang Kai-shek campaigned for awhile against these things, but obviously he was not overly successful. Somehow it’s not offensive at all, although the spitting can get you down in Peking.
Taching in the afternoon: we went to the refinery, and then took a train—we sat in an old-time car, very, very old, which was half dining car and half soft coach. But it was very clean. The toilet, an old trench-type unit, was spic and span.
. . . We had a long discussion led by Mr. Lin about the difference between capitalism and their system. I asked him why they needed a valve factory in Taching—why they didn’t use a central one and simply ship the valves in—that it seemed to me that [their system] might be inefficient. . . . He made some comments that I thought seemed critical of “the profit” motive. We were motivated for profit. I emphasized competition was the thing that resulted in services being furnished at the lowest possible cost to the consumer, that if you were going to buy valves in the United States you would go to several manufacturers and get bids and then you would buy the cheapest price. He kept using the word “profit” as something bad, and I kept using the word “competition” as something that should result in profit but that resulted in benefit to the consumer. We had a long discussion. I asked about firing people. I asked him how a man that was ineffective could be fired. I said, suppose the man in charge of drilling in Taching, the number one person, is ineffective, and therefore his units produce less, he completes fewer wells—he’s a good guy, people like him, but he’s ineffective—what would happen. The answer was that he would be criticized and helped by the masses, but if in the final analysis he didn’t produce he could be replaced by the State.
I asked if a worker simply was lazy, if he was transferred up from some other part of China and didn’t like it and just decided—I used the example, suppose the girl we saw, instead of being able and energetic, which she obviously was, was lazy, she was homesick, and she just decided to sleep in past six o’clock when everybody else was up looking after the wells—what would happen then. They all laughed enormously at that and said that her colleagues would work with her to overcome that. And then I kept pressing on it and said that suppose she didn’t overcome it. Then they conceded there would be disciplinary action taken.
. . . These kinds of discussions with the Chinese—they seemed very interested in them, and its the kind of things I wish we could do every day. It does increase understanding, and it does make us have a better feel for their system. But these visits of that nature are almost impossible in Peking. That’s one of my great regrets, that you cannot sit down and, as the kids would say, “rap” with Chinese officials on any substantive matter.
Our fall was consumed with preparing for and then hosting two high-profile visits to Peking. Henry Kissinger came first to plan for the visit of President Ford himself. A lot of the following correspondence concerns those two visits.
For [Brent] Scowcroft
From George Bush
Last year when the Secretary’s plane rolled up to the ramp I was standing next to Nancy Tang. The door opened and quite a few security people came down the stairs before the Secretary got off the plane.
Nancy Tang rather pointedly commented on this to me, making the point that she felt the number of security personnel was excessive. China does pride itself on the safety of foreign friends here in this country.
Perhaps a way can be found to have the security people be not quite so conspicuous as the Secretary de-planes. This is a small matter of a cosmetic nature but since it was mentioned very directly by Nancy Tang it might be worth some thought. Warm Regards.
Dear T.L. [Tom Lias],
The Kissinger visit went well. He was much more gracious to me than ever before. Meeting Mao Tse Tung was a thrill of a life time. He is old and has a ghastly speech problem, but still sharp. The adulation on the face of the Chinese in the room was unbelievably worshipful. . . .
I have been very happy here since coming back in Sept.46 I wonder if it’s the escapist in me. For first time I feel I am accomplishing something. The Chinese seemed to reflect a confidence to HK which was nice. We are excited about our kids coming out here for Christmas . . .
China thinks we are falling apart—a paper tiger (not quite), a country whose principles are hazy and whose discipline and order are in chaos. . . .
Best
GB
Our kids never came for Christmas. They didn’t have to. Instead, we unexpectedly went home.
NOVEMBER 2, 1975
TO: |
SECRETARY KISSINGER AND FOR THE PRESIDENT THROUGH SECRETARY KISSINGER |
FROM: |
George Bush |
Your message came as a total and complete shock. I have followed from afar some of the debate on the agency47 but I am totally incapable of assessing the entire situation from way out here.
Here are my heartfelt views.
First, I wish I had some time to talk to one or two close friends about this matter.
Second, I do not have politics out of my system entirely and I see this as the total end of any political future.
Third, I cannot from out here, half way around the world, measure the mood on the Hill as to my nomination for this new job.
Fourth, I sure wish I had time to think and sort things out.
Henry, you did not know my father. The President did. My Dad inculcated into his sons a set of values that have served me well in my own short public life. One of these values quite simply is that one should serve his country and his President.
And so if this is what the President wants me to do the answer is a firm “YES”. In all candor I would not have selected this controversial position if the decision had been mine, but I serve at the pleasure of our President and I do not believe in complicating his already enormously difficult job.
There are some matters both professional and personal that I think should be understood or considered:
First, on the professional side: One, I would like the freedom to select my own top deputy and small personal staff in consultation with the President.
This I feel is absolutely essential.
Two, I would want it totally understood that I would have free and direct access to the President in conjunction with my new duties. I would not abuse this access but I would want to know it is there at all times.
Three, I believe, with all my fiber, in a strong CIA. I have been appalled at some of the attacks on the agency just as I have been appalled at some of the Agency’s excesses that have become public. I am confident that the President shares these views that the USA must retain a strong, well financed intelligence capability.
I can not tell when I would be expected to come back for hearings, confirmation, etc. My personal views, which are clearly secondary to the President’s desires, are that I would like to remain here until the first of the year. I would definitely like to stay here through the President’s visit. I realize neither of these things may be possible.
On the diplomatic side there is something to be said for a reasonable period to say farewell to a job I have loved, to a land that I have found totally consuming and fascinating, and to people who, inspite of our enormous differences, have befriended me.
In conclusion the President should know that when President Nixon summoned me from the U.N. to Camp David on but another of those helicopter journeys that shook things up after the ’72 elections Bar said to me “George, do anything except one thing—Don’t accept if he says he wants you to head the Republican National Committee.”
I said I wouldn’t and I did.
Today this message came in. We were on our bikes back home when a messenger found us. We cycled back to the house, I whipped open the message. Tears came to her eyes and she said “Remember Camp David, I think I know your answer;” and I do know the answer. It is, with only the conditions expressed, an enthusiastic “I Accept.”
For the President—Thank you for this honor. I will work my heart out.
Warm regards
George Bush